MAGISTRATE’S COURT Constable assaulted

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 9 December 1975, Page 13

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Constable assaulted

Allegations made by a 17-year-old girl. Karen Marie Shaw, that she had been kicked and had her hair pulled by a constable while being interviewed. were discounted by Mr H. J. Evans, S’.M.. in the Christchurch .Magistrate’s court yesterday. The defendant, unemp oyed. appeared on a charge of assaulting Constable Gillian Gregor Knox. She p eaded not guilty. The Magistrate found the charge proved and remanded the defendant on bail to December 11 for sentence. Constable Knox said in evidence that about 1.15 p tn. on October 20. she was questioning the defendant, about the theft of some blankets. “The defendant was most un-co-operative during the interview,” witness said During the interview Sergeant Coomber came in, and an allegation of assault was made to him. "She told the Sergeant that I had kicked her," she said. “I was sitting opposite the defendant and at one

stage crossed my legs, brushing against the defendant’s leg,” witness said. ' The defendant had then kicked the constable in the I shin. "I told her to stop it, and she slapped my chin,” i witness said. Witness had then pushed the defendant against the desk in order to restrain her. “She lashed out with her shoes and started ripping off my panty-hose,” said Constable Knox. Sergeant Coom■ber had then entered the room and spoken to the defendant. Witness admitted to counsel (Mr T. M. Abbott) that she held the defendant s hair during the struggle, but denied that she had thrown her on the floor. Sergeant Coomber said that when he first went to the room, the defendant alleged that she had been kicked by Constable Knox. “She made reference to getting the constable back,” he said. When he called back several minutes later he found the constable trying to reI strain the defendant. He said the constable’s stockings were nearly ripped off, and she had a red mark on the cheek of her face.

The defendant said in evidence that she had started to make a statement but was told by the constable that she did not have to. “I asked if I codld make a telephone call but was told I couldn’t until I made my! statement,” the defendant! said. “She kicked me— it wasn’t hard but she meant it” "I wouldn't speak to her after that.” The defendant then started crying and claimed that the constable had begun pulling her hair. “I told her I would have her but she told me it was no good as there was no-one else in the room,” she said. “She had me on the desk with my head against the typewriter,” the defendant' said. “I started fighting her back and grabbed her leg.” Shaw said that she was being pulled across the floor! and grabbed at the constable’s leg, pulling her panty-hose. Asked by the Magistrate, why she had made no formal complaint, the defendant said her mother told her it would be useless to do so. The Magistrate said, he found the evidence of the police witnesses more convincing and found the charge proved.